Grand Game 335: Three-is-One (Patreon)

Mouth agape, I stared at the objects lined up on the table.

I’d analyzed each in turn, and the results had left me deeply shocked. “Do you know what you have here?” I whispered.

The old man shook his head, grinning toothily. “None at all. Not even our mages have been able to identify these artifacts. But I reckon they’re important—and expensive.”

I nodded, not bothering to attempt convincing him otherwise. Gamil appeared too shrewd for that. “That they are.” The five items the shopkeeper had laid out on the table was player gear, of course.

But they weren’t ordinary equipment.

Each piece was part of a legendary set and likely worth tens of thousands to the right buyer. Sadly, though, the items did not belong to the same collection. Four, I couldn’t use, but the fifth… on its own, it more than made-up for the others.

“How did you come across this equipment?” I asked absently, still studying the legendary artifacts in fascination.

Gamil and Elron exchanged quick glances, but even distracted, I didn’t fail to mark it. What did it signify? I wondered.

“Let’s just say that over the years more than one player fell afoul of the dungeon and failed to retrieve his gear,” the old man said.

I nodded, having expecting it to be something like that. The pair’s stolen looks implied there was more to the tale than they were letting on, though. “What happened to the rest of the items?” I asked, moving the conversation on, and letting them keep their secrets.

Gamil tilted his head to the side. “What makes you sure there was anything else?”

I snorted. “Of course, there was. The fact that these five items are here tells me you kept the most valuable pieces for yourself and got rid of the lesser ones. Who did you sell them to?” And what possible use could they have for it?

It was Elron who answered. “They were taken apart.”

“Taken apart?” I repeated in confusion.

The marshal nodded. “The guild took possession of the items. In an effort to reverse engineer the enchantments and create equivalent gear for our people, they broke down each into its constituent parts.” He gestured at the table. “These five, though, resisted their best efforts.”

I winced, imagining the wastage. “Did it work?”

Elron grimaced. “Not to the extent the mages hoped. None of the enchantments could be duplicated. A handful, though, were successfully modified and made usable. But the entire process was complicated and nearly not worth the effort expended.”

“Let me guess, the diviner you used on me earlier was one such item?”

He nodded.

I turned back to the shopkeeper. “I’ll take them.”

Gamil smiled. “Perfect. Is there anything else you need?”

About to complete the transaction, I paused. “You wouldn’t, by any chance, happen to have a stygian shortsword for sale?”

The shopkeeper shook his head. “I’m afraid I can’t help you there. I don’t stock weapons.”

“Oh, alright. I’ll stick with the artifacts and the mosaic tiles then.”

“And in exchange?” the old man asked. “What do you offer?”

I opened my mouth, then closed it, realizing I had only a few golds on my person. The rest of my money was in my bank account and presently inaccessible. “Will seventy gold do?” I asked weakly.

Gamil laughed. “Not nearly.”

I sighed, realizing I would have to trade something from my backpack. After a moment’s thought, I extracted the stygian seed fragments. “What about these?” I asked, holding them out in the palm of my hand.

Elron straightened as he caught sight of the glistening shards, and even Gamil seemed shocked. “Is that…? Are those…?”

I nodded. “They’re the remains of two destroyed stygian seeds. I don’t know much about alchemy, but I know the seeds are more valuable than the reagents your people harvest from the nether creatures. Will they suffice?”

Gamil licked his lips, eyes darting between the seed fragments in my hands and the artifacts. “The fragments are valuable,” he allowed, “but...”

The shopkeeper required further persuasion, I could tell. “There is another dead seed outside the city, too. I didn’t have time to gather its remains, but as soon as the harbinger is gone, Elron’s men can collect it for you as well.”

Gamil shot the marshal a look. “Is that right?”

“The fragments are Taim’s by right,” Elron said slowly. “If he wishes you to have them, my men will gather the pieces and deliver them to you.”

Gamil turned back to me. “Then we have a deal, young fella,” he said smiling.

✵ ✵ ✵

You have acquired a cache of 4 x legendary items and 17 x enchanted mosaic pieces.

You have lost 2 x set of stygian seed remains.

You have acquired the Psi Bracelet. This item is indestructible and is part of the legendary jewelry set: Three-is-One.

It was crafted by renowned chi master Yellen eons ago. The master held to the philosophy that, at heart, all the body’s energies—mana, stamina, and psi—were the same. He believed that, with appropriate manipulation, one could be transformed into the other.

Setting out to prove his theory, Yellen crafted the Three-is-One artifacts. Unfortunately, the chi master only managed to create one such set before his untimely death. No one since has been able to duplicate his feat, making each piece of the Three-is-One set unique.

To experience the full benefits of Yellen’s creation, all 3 pieces of the legendary set are required. This item, the Psi Bracelet, increases your Mind by +8 ranks and grants you the tier 5 ability: psi-feed, which allows you to refill your psi pool using either stamina or mana.

I hurried out of the shop in Elron’s wake, a new bracelet on my wrist. It was hardly my first legendary item, yet it quickened my interest as much as the Wayfarer boots had, if not more so.

The Three-is-One held incredible potential.

If I could cross-feed power between my pools of stamina, mana, and psi, then I could conceivably reach a state of nearly limitless energy. My void armor could be replenished on the fly, and I would become tireless as a fighter.

In some ways though, I had been unlucky to find the psi bracelet first. Of my three energy stores, psi was by far the largest, and in recent times I’d hardly ever run short. In fact, I was hard pressed to imagine any scenario where I would need to replenish psi with either mana or stamina.

Still, the boost to my Mind was welcome, and knowing that there were two other pieces of the Three-is-One out there, I would do my damnedest to find them. As soon as I get out of this dungeon, of course.

“We’re here.”

Lifting my head, I saw that we were back on the steps leading to the entrance of one of the city’s four central fortresses. We’d arrived. I glanced at the marshal. Making no move to push through the sealed doors, he shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot. It was the most anxiety I’d seen him express yet.

“We’re not going in?” I asked.

“We are,” he replied. “But before we do…”

He hesitated further, and I studied him carefully. What had gotten into Elron? “Yes?” I prompted.

The marshal clenched and unclenched his fists. “Just be careful in there... things aren’t as they seem.” On those ominous words, he swung around and banged on the fortress’ doors. “Open up. It’s Marshal Elron, escorting the player, Taim.”

My preoccupations forgotten, I studied the lines of the dark elf’s back as the doors creaked open. Elron was stiff—upset, I thought. Something had happened to make him so, I guessed.

Or was about to.

“Ghost, scout out the inside of the fortress,” I whispered. “And be careful.”

The spirit wolf slinked forward. “What am I looking for?”

“Anything out of the ordinary,” I said. “Anything different from the last time we were here. Sorry, but I can’t be more precise than that.”

“Don’t worry, Prime. I’m on it.”

The spirit wolf vanished into the fortress, and I turned back to the door to see the marshal and two guards studying me impatiently. I didn’t know what awaited me inside, but if Elron was going so far as to warn me—even indirectly—I had to be prepared for the worst.

My gaze slid from the marshal to the guards. I didn’t fear New Haven’s soldiers. They were impressive in a regular fight, but any confrontation with me would be anything but ordinary. If more soldiers were waiting for me inside the fortress, I would deal with them. Harshly.

The mages, though, were still something of an unknown. But they, too, were no threat. Unless, of course, they caught me unawares. “One second,” I said, and dug around in my backpack until I found what I was looking for.

You have equipped the spectacles of ward seeing.

“What’s that for?” the senior of the two guards—a sergeant I thought—asked, studying the glasses quizzically.

“Fashion statement,” I replied glibly and stepped forward.

The soldiers didn’t move aside.

Folding my arms across my chest, I waited patiently. The sergeant glanced at Elron, but the marshal’s face was impassive, offering no help.

Left with no other choice, the sergeant waved me forward. “Go on then,” he said gruffly. “The council’s waiting.”

Nodding politely, I entered the fortress accompanied by Elron. His gaze slid sideways to my face, but he forbore commenting. The marshal knew I was up to something, but for his own reasons seemed content to let me be.

The fortress’ corridors were as empty as during my last visit. Still, I scanned them repeatedly, searching for any telltale pricks of light. The spectacles I’d equipped were designed to identify wards of tier four and below, and as non-players, New Haven’s mages would certainly not be capable of casting anything beyond that.

If there was a spelled trap waiting for me, I would find it.

Halfway to the council chamber, Ghost returned. “Turn back,” she shouted as she rushed forward. “It’s an ambush!”

✵ ✵ ✵

“Slow down, Ghost,” I said, not breaking stride. “Tell me what you’ve seen.”

“There are two dozen mages lying in wait ahead.”

Only two dozen? I mused. That number seemed a bit low for taking down an elite player—which is what they thought me. “Where are they?”

“They’re split between two antechambers. Each room leads directly into the council hall,” she replied, dancing anxiously around me. “We should go!”

But Ghost’s report only calmed me further. Whatever was going to happen would only happen after I meant the city’s rulers. There was time yet. “What makes you think it’s an ambush?”

“I overheard one of the leaders give the others their orders. They know you’re on the way and want to take you alive.”

Even better. I folded my hands behind my back and out of Elron’s line of sight, rubbed my thumb across the blue crystal on the wristband on my left arm. “We’re not running, Ghost,” I said. “If there is a trap, I intend on springing it.”

“You’re not worried?”

“Oh, I am,” I said. “But finding out what is going on in the city is more important. Return to the council chamber and keep watch on the mages. Return if you learn anything more.”

While the spirit wolf hurried away again, I pondered her report. The city council could not have simple betrayal in mind. Keeping their end of the bargain—and telling me the location of the exit portal—would cost them nothing.

So why betray me?

There was Elron’s own behavior to consider too. The circumspect manner of his actions suggested he feared something… or someone. But what did the commander of New Haven’s armies have to fear?

I recalled his earlier words again: things aren’t as they seem.

Whatever was going on, I decided, it was neither straightforward nor cut and dry. Running would be easy, but I’d come this far already and wasn’t quite ready to abandon my plans for New Haven.

I have to figure out what is going on in this city. Perhaps, matters are not as dire as I fear.

But just in case, I would have counter traps of my own ready.